


Shattered Ties

by sacredsymbol821



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 23:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6681067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sacredsymbol821/pseuds/sacredsymbol821
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My take on what happens between Leo and Corrin in the early chapters of Birthright.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shattered Ties

She wasn’t expecting the man to throw a smoke screen, which temporarily blinded her and the rest of her group. In her initial moments of panic, she dropped the Yato on the floor, and she heard it fall to the floor with a loud clang. She did not have the time to curse, and instead, she fumbled around for her sword before her vision came back as Zola tried to escape out the castle. Unfortunately, she did not know the castle as well as the illusionist did, and she hit several dead ends before she would catch sight of the Nohrian Mage’s cape, or hear his footsteps as he attempted to escape out the castle. She finally caught up with him when she tripped and fell on her foot, which cost her precious time. She yelled in frustration as the man made it past the main doors to the castle as she tried desperately to get up off her feet and teleport to block him from reaching the main door.

She put her head down in defeat on the cold floor and blinked before she heard a very familiar noise.

She looked up to see a tree catch Zola’s cape as the man made his way past the front door, causing him to hang there helplessly. Before she could react in anyway whatsoever, she heard someone’s voice yell out,

“Contemptible fool!”

She froze mid stride, and a cold dread washed over her stomach. His brown eyes, usually so bright, were dark and his face was in a perpetual scowl that she was not used to.

“Leo!” She yelled instinctively, and it was his turn to freeze. For one second, his eyes flicked to hers, and his expression softened for a split second, as if he was opening his mouth to say something. Then, he seemed to remember something, and his face darkened once again.

“Zola, you have disgraced Nohr for the last time.” He said, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room. His eyes were affixed on the groveling mage, who was stuck against the wall by one of Brynhildr’s branches.

“Leo, what are you going to do?” She asked. This time, he slammed his tome shut. However, Zola’s cape was still stuck against the wall and the mage couldn’t pull his cape free. He turned around to face her.

“My duty as a Nohrian Prince. Unlike you, I remember where my loyalties lie.” He spat, and she felt the words sting her very core. She looked down at the ground for a moment before looking back at him.

“So your duty as a Nohrian Prince is to serve an unjust evil tyrant?” She shot back, the words falling from her lips faster than she could think.

“How can you say that? He raised you!” Leo asked, his voice breaking. She almost felt sorry for him, but he had struck a match inside her.

“He raised me? All he did was slaughter my father in front of me, then take me to a kingdom I never belonged too! Then, he proceeded to wage war on my homeland and give me a sword destined to kill my mother. He also tried to kill me! But yes, he raised me. _How grateful I am for that._ ” She replied bitterly.

“What about us? Do we mean that little to you?” Leo hissed. She could have sworn that tears were present in his eyes, but they were gone before she could blink. 

She couldn’t speak, as she felt like someone had applied a silence spell on her.

All she saw was Elise and Leo coming to visit for sleepovers at the Northern Fortress. She and Elise would have pillow fights as Leo read a book in a corner. If either of them were feeling particularly mischievous, they would toss a pillow at him until the boy would close the book and join the ruckus. On even better days when Xander and Camilla were present, they would all join gang up on Xander until the Crown Prince was forced to join pillow fights or face a severe walloping by pillowcases. Later that night, no matter who was present, they would talk over tea. 

The memory had once served her as a reminder that when she was finally free, she would have a family too visit.

Now, all it did was make her stomach twist and her hands shake.

“I do care about you, Leo!” She managed to stutter out. The world was becoming blurry as red hot tears started streaming down her face.

“Well, you have a funny way of showing it.” He muttered loud enough for her to here.

The vitriol behind the remark poisoned her, making it unable for her to breathe. All she could was gape at the blonde, who ran his hand through his hair before turning back to Zola.

“I’ve taken too much time here already.” He said, and opened Brynhildr again.

She found the urge to speak just as he raised his arm to finish the man off.

“Leo, don’t. _Please_.” She begged him.

She saw his breath hitch, but he continued the spell and she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t witness Zola’s death when she heard a pop that did not sound like trees impaling someone.

She opened her eyes and saw that Leo had retracted the vine holding the Nohrian mage.

“If you want him so bad, you can keep him.” He told her, shutting Brynhildr and putting it on his belt.

“Leo? Thank you.”

“I didn’t do it for you!” He snapped at her, causing her to step back.

“The next time we meet I won’t be speaking any longer. I just thought I should let you know that.” He told her, and before she could say anything, he got on his horse and rode away.

There was a very long silence as they restrained their enemy.

She did not want to think, but her brain was still churning. If she had sided with Nohr, maybe Leo would not have been so antagonistic towards her. Maybe she had chosen wrong, after all.

No, she hadn’t. She could never forgive King Garon for who he had hurt- her father, and the mother she had recently lost.

Her eyes started watering again.

“Are you okay?” She heard someone ask her from very far away. She turned away from the voice, and stared at the wall for a very long time before answering.

“No.” She replied truthfully, before walking out the room.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this short oneshot!


End file.
